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V.com weekend vote: Will you focus more, or less, on the violin during the summer?

June 20, 2008 at 9:25 PM

Today is the summer solstice, and we can feel it here at V.com world headquarters in Pasadena, where temperatures are well in the 90s and creeping toward 100.

In other words, it's summer!

It's time to get to music camp and practice eight hours a day, to soak in all the music possible. It's time to play summer concerts, form a new chamber group, review three etude books just for fun and learn a new concerto.

Or perhaps...

It's time to put away my fiddle and go to the beach! Concentrate? During the summer? Time to go on a month-long trek down the Colorado River on a raft, and the fiddle's not coming along!

What does it look like for you this summer? Is it the time when you can cast everything else aside and work on the violin, or have you been so hard at work during the rest of the year that you need to take a break and feed your soul something else?

I think either answer is all right. For me, it's a mixture of both. Though I'm taking a monthlong sabbatical from teaching, I plan to brush up on some Bach, polish some Ysaye. I also have a few performances, as well as some jam sessions planned with some non-classical musician friends. Still, I'm going to call it a break.

What's your plan for this summer?

I get more practice time in the summer, although the latest household project has taken a wee bit more time than originally projected. After I get the last of the dried crusty bits of "Mark Twain House Tan" scrubbed out of the fingernails, I can finally get back to the Schumann concerto...

Happy Practicing, everybody!

Well Its actually winter for me (though looking outside my window it's a beautiful blue day... though my cat is taking up the prime position of full sunlight), but I will be focussing on my violin more. Going to get my hands around the Flesch Urstudien (prompted by Ruth, who was prompted by Buri), and a few pieces. I'll probably take a look at some earlier studies and pieces that I might like to give to my students as well.
Just came back from a lovely week of summerschool for strings in Greece and feel so motivated that I will be playing a lot more for the coming months although on our side of the world it is winter.
Usually it's a little less, and that's how the summer started out, but now I am at Ottawa and so its back to the grindstone for a while. I will probably schlep off again in a few weeks... oh well...
Since things settle down here at UW I'm not rushed. I can slow down and concentrate with more focus on what I have learned so far plus prep for the Fall Semester.

It's been exciting and fun interviewing candidates to fill the openings for Violin Professer. I'm excited to see who we will get!

Lot's of outdoor activities: Bar-B-Que, Camping, Panning for Gold/Silver (I'm an ammature prospector and just joind a club with productive claims...Lot's of Fun!). Fishing, shooting sports, hiking trails to find herbs and wild flowers while scoping out potentual hunting and prospecting sights. And doing things with my Congregation's Brothers and Sisters!!!

But most of all, all these activities are far more fun now that I can buy out time to play my violin while engaged in my summer activities, especially when either friends or strangers listen and have a goodtime! I love playing something they are familiar with and get them involved like singing, etc.

Have a great summer Laurie, and the rest of you folks too!

I almost forgot about Ben: Have a great Winter. here in Wyoming we love Summer.. It's our favorite "DAY" of the year! It's still sweater weather at night, low 40's high 30's.
Until Aspen starts, I have less going on in terms of ensembles, concerts, etc. However, I'm still teaching 11 students, and trying to get as much practicing in as possible while I have the extra time. I'm also reading and researching more into practice methods. So yes, my summer is very musical. :)
My summer will be like the rest of the year with less orch but a little more practice. So, the choices Laurie has proposed prevent me from voting as neither one is really accurate.
everyday up at 7 practicing :)
Like Tom, I have more time to practice but fewer rehearsals. Orchestra is over for the summer but I'm playing at the farmer's market again and working with my daughter.
Working easier and without my teacher for the summer. I'm cutting my practice time to somewhere under an hour, rather than somewhere over an hour. No pieces form Suzuki 2 and 3 that are right at the edge of my ability to deal with but not to really accomplish. For the sumer I'm working in Doflein's beginning book (with thanks for the recommendation) and doing some fiddle tunes.
What violin? ;)
Well, it's winter for us Southern Hemisphereans. It's also a month long break between first and second semester where I don't have to store a gram of excess tension from studying my law books. So more violin practise it is :D

With a bit of relaxation, I find my motivation returns and my batteries are refreshed to supercharge my practise and advance more quickly.